Harry Potter and the Year of Dreams
by Duke Firefox
Summary: I don't like H/G much so...I'm finished with this. I'm done, write somethin else later. Fare Well
1. The First Dream

1 Ch1: The Dream  
  
  
  
"AAAAAAAHHHHHH!"  
  
An earsplitting scream tears through Harry Potter's sleep. He leaps out of bed and runs toward the screams. He runs out of his room, down the hallway and into Dudly's room. Inside was something Harry has wanted to see for a very long time: Wormtail standing over Dudly with a knife.  
  
Harry begins to cheer but to his horror, Wormtail turns, his white hand glistening in the starlit night, to look strait at him. Wormtail begins to change into a monstrous, hideous rat the size of a car. Harry begins to turn and scream but the giant rat closes on him, leaps jaws wide, ready to clamp down on his throat.  
  
Harry awakens in a cold sweat and blurry sight. Breathing hard, he reaches over to his bedside table to find his glasses and puts them on.  
  
"Just a dream," Harry mumbled drowsily as he scanned the room, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. Well, at least what was ordinary for him because Harry wasn't a normal boy. No, far from it. Harry was a wizard in training at the best school of magic ever made, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from which he had just completed his fourth year. What he did see was the best broomstick in the world, a Firebolt, his snowy white owl Hedwig in an open cage sleeping soundlessly, an open trunk with spell books spilling out, a broom servicing kit, ink and quills, a wand, and school robes.  
  
He didn't used to be able to have all of this stuff out in his room but ever since his Godfather Sirius came into his life, nothing had been the same. Sirius was an escaped convict from the wizard jail Azkaban but he was put in there because he was framed, but Harry thought it best not to mention that to the Dursleys.  
  
'Nope,' he thought smiling, 'all as usual.'  
  
Harry was a small and skinny for his age and had been for as long as he could remember. He had a thin face, striking jade green eyes, black hair that couldn't be tamed by a comb or brush and knobbly knees. He wore small black glasses and most unusual about him was a thin scar on his forehead in the shape of lightning. That scar made him different from all wizards in the world because he had escaped the evil wizard Voldemort's killing curse and sent Voldemort into hiding while Harry escaped with only that scar. He was the only person in the world who had ever escaped that curse and that only made him more famous.  
  
Looking out his window at the beautiful night, he thought about his true home, the school, where he could have fun with his friends and do his favorite thing in the world. Play Quidditch the best game ever invented and played only by wizards on broomsticks. He missed that more than anything else in the world.  
  
He suddenly smiled getting an idea. He moved quickly and quietly, so as not to awaken the Dursleys, around the room looking for his invisibility cloak, one of his most prized possessions. He picked it up from under his school robes, its liquid-like material flowing around his hands thinking about his first true Christmas ever. Smiling he went over to his Firebolt picked it up and set both the cloak and his broom next to the window. Harry then thought for a second and went to awaken Hedwig.  
  
Harry lightly prodded Hedwig awake and she cast him a baleful eye at being awakened.  
  
"Don't give me that look. I just wanted to know if you wanted to go flying with me." Hedwig turned her head a bit then stretched her wings out and jumped to the window. Harry smiled happily at his very first friend and walked over to his things and tossed on invisibility cloak. Looking down to make sure he had it on right he saw only the floor. He smiled again.  
  
Picking up his Firebolt he whistled to Hedwig and flew out the window, his owl following his continuing whistles.  
  
Oh how he loved to fly. He was picked for Gryffindor's house Quidditch team in his first year because of his natural flying talent, the youngest in a century. And he was picked for a very good reason: he was good. Flying over the rooftops, feeling the cold night wind blowing over his body he realized that this wasn't what he missed most. What he missed most were his best friends Ron Weasly and Hermione Granger. It had only been three weeks but it felt like an eternity since he saw his friends.  
  
Harry slowed down and flew lower down to a nearby park with Hedwig still following his whistles, and landed in a tall oak tree.  
  
"Go ahead and fly around Hedwig," said Harry. "I'll call you when I'm ready to go." Hedwig hooted softly and flew around hunting mice.  
  
Harry leaned back and reclined against the branch and thought about his best friends. He could always count on them and there was nothing he wouldn't do for them. He thought of Ron and wondered if he'd get an invitation to the Burrow soon. He thought of Hermione and he thought wryly when he'd get a letter that said that she had done too much homework again.  
  
Ah yes, Harry definitely missed Hogwarts. The only things he didn't miss were the Slytherin house, including Malfoy, Goyle, and Crabbe, and the head of the house, and Harry's potions teacher, Snape. They caused him nothing but trouble; trouble he could easily do without.  
  
Harry suddenly felt something pinching his finger.  
  
"Ow!" he said as he looked down. "Pig!"  
  
There, biting his finger was Ron's little owl hopping up and down hooting loudly. Harry hadn't heard or seen him at first because of his dosing and almost fell out of the tree with surprise.  
  
Reaching down, Harry grabbed Pig, picked him up and untied the letter tied to his legs. Harry let go of Pig and he went flying around hooting madly all the time. Shaking his head Harry opened the letter and read:  
  
Harry,  
  
How are you? Everything is fine here except because Penny dumped Percy he's been even more insufferable than usual. Hope the Muggles aren't treating you too bad. My Mom said that you could come and stay for the last month of break but not until then because we have to go to Romania. Charlie got burnt up pretty badly and Mom wants us to go stay with him for a while to cheer him up. Sorry you can't come as the doctors won't allow anyone but immediate family in. I'll say hi to Norbert for you! Hope you're OK though.  
  
Have you heard from Sirius lately? I hope that he's OK… Anyway, hope to see you soon!  
  
  
  
Sincerely,  
  
1.1 Ron  
  
  
  
PS Hermione is in Bulgaria with Krum so she probably hasn't time to send word but I think she'll join us for the last few weeks.  
  
Harry smiled at that. Victor Krum was a fantastic seeker on the Bulgarian Quidditch team and he had met Hermione at Hogwarts last year during the Triwizard Tournament. During that time, he had fallen hopelessly for Hermione.  
  
Looking up Harry realized dawn was coming so he called back Hedwig and she and Harry flew back to number four Privet Drive where the Dursleys were still sleeping and life was better than normal. 


	2. Visit

1 Ch2: The Visit  
  
Walking quietly down the stairs, Harry listened to the sound of Dudley's television set tell the whether and the news.  
  
Harry jumped the last step and walked to the kitchen through the hallways that Aunt Petunia tried so hard to keep spotless. Stepping into the kitchen he looked around to find his Uncle Vernon reading the paper and eating toast. Uncle Vernon was a bull necked man with a red face and a long mustache kept trimmed daily. Sitting down at the table Harry was startled to see Aunt Petunia spring up from the ground where she had dropped half the pan of scrambled eggs. Aunt Petunia was the exact opposite of Uncle Vernon, bony, horse faced, and nit-picky.  
  
Suddenly she smiled wickedly. "That was your share of the eggs boy, better make your own."  
  
Harry, far too used to this sort of response, nodded and said cheerily, "Thank you! Now I won't have to worry about poisoning will I?" He ignored the evil looks given to him and instead began to hum a light tune as he cooked his pancakes. He knew they were too afraid to do anything especially after they found out about his godfather.  
  
Dudley finally made his appearance almost silently. He looked rather diminished, like a big guy who suddenly lost a lot of weight. He used to be big, pudgy, and stupid. Now he was just big and stupid. Before Harry's fourth year, Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia put Dudley on a diet, which he wasn't too happy about, and it seemed that it actually did him some good.  
  
He sneered quite openly at Harry and began his way to the kitchen to get some eggs when he suddenly stopped, screamed, and bolted from the room.  
  
Surprised, Harry looked down at where Dudley had looked and saw a giant black dog outside the sliding glass door. "Sirius," Harry said happily, and runs to the door and opens it up. In walked the dog, calmly, and Harry hugged him.  
  
"What is this mangy mutt doing in here?!" Uncle Vernon yelled, red faced. And before his very eyes the dog changed into a man. That was too much for Aunt Petunia who was already shaking because of her now dirty carpet. She jumped up with a little squeak and ran from the room white in the face. Uncle Vernon's eyes bulged and his mouth opened and closed like a blowfish.  
  
"Hello Harry," said Sirius. "How are you. You look well and you certainly grew." Sirius was a big man with chocolate brown eyes, wild black hair, a scratchy voice and a welcome smile.  
  
"I'm doing great! It's so good to see you!" Harry then finally realized that the Dursleys were stark with terror. He smiled faintly and whispered in Sirius's ear, "They think you really are a con else they wouldn't treat me so nicely."  
  
Sirius's chuckle threw both Vernon and Petunia into even greater heights, Petunia mumbling faintly and Vernon's face rapidly changing colors.  
  
"Hello. I'm Sirius, Harry's godfather. I gather from Harry's descriptions that you are Vernon and Petunia Dursley?" Vernon finally got some courage and nodded slowly.  
  
The silence continued for several seconds until Harry said, "Would you like some pancakes?" Sirius nodded graciously.  
  
"So…how are you?" Sirius asked politely while Harry went to get the pancake plate.  
  
"Fine," grunted Vernon not wanting Sirius to get angry and do some magic. Suddenly, Petunia fainted from the enormity of it all and Vernon barely caught her. "I better…yeah," he said thankful for the excuse to leave.  
  
Harry and Sirius smiled. It had been a while since they saw each other and Harry for one was happy to see him. But…  
  
"What are you doing here Sirius? You're supposed to be getting together with the 'old crowd'. Readying for the coming dark days. I mean with Voldemort free, we'll need everyone we can get. And, and, and." Harry finally realized he was babbling and said again, "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I wanted to give you your birthday present before I had to leave for a while. And because I have to be completely hidden away from all evil, I may not get another chance to give it to you. So anyway, here you go." Sirius pulled from out of his long cloak…a box that could never have fit under there so perfectly.  
  
Harry, surprised, lifted slightly trembling hands and took the box with a small "thanks" to Sirius.  
  
"Well? Don't just sit there! Open it up!"  
  
Harry slowly slid off the ribbon and ripped off the paper then opened the box. Inside were three smaller boxes. 'Figures' Harry thinks.  
  
He reached in and grabbed the largest box and opened it up. Inside was a large leather-bound book. On the cover it said 'The Journal of Prongs: Leader of the Pack'. Harry felt awe as he slowly lifted the cover…and found blank pages. He looked questioningly at Sirius who was wolfing down pancakes.  
  
"The-pass-word is 'Lilly is so beautiful'. Kind of sweet huh?" and with that began wolfing more pancakes down.  
  
Harry scratched his head and said the password and suddenly words appeared on every page describing life at Hogwarts and showing many pictures of prank scams and Harry's mother. It also showed a picture of The Marauders at school in their seventh and final year with all of Lily's friends as well. They all waved furiously at him except Peter Petigrew who by now must have been a spy of Voldemort's and looked rather sullen.  
  
Harry was speechless but Sirius got the idea. "Go on. Two more in there."  
  
So he picked up another box that was slightly smaller. He suddenly remembered the pocket knife he got for Christmas last year and pulled it out watching the smile grow on Sirius' face. Harry cut the strings and the tape holding the box together and opened it up.  
  
Inside was a wizard watch and a cell phone. He looked questioningly at Sirius.  
  
"The phone is bewitched so you can talk to anyone you want from miles away and it would be like you were standing in the room next to them. So if the muggles treat you badly just call me up and I'll get Dumbledore to get you out of the house immediately. The watch was your grandfather's Mr. Robert J. Potter. It was passed down from grandfather to grandson for many a generation. He'd have wanted you to have it." Harry just smiled.  
  
Pulling out the last box, he felt something jingle. He quickly opened it up and found keys.  
  
"Keys? What are they for?" he asked.  
  
"Why for your new car of course!" Sirius answered.  
  
"CAR?!"  
  
"Yup."  
  
"Wow," Harry said in astonishment. "Where is it?"  
  
"On the driveway. Come on, we'll go see it!" So they walked through the hallway and out the front door and saw a brand new BMW Z3 sitting on the driveway, it's jade green coat gleaming in the sunlight.  
  
"It's got charms cleared by the Ministry of course. It can fly, has an invisibility booster and a transport button. That doesn't mean it can Apparate. It means you push it and it shrinks to the size of a toy car. One other thing: the trunk has been stretched to allow for the transport for more than one person's belongings as I know Ron will be wanting a drive."  
  
Harry heard this and stored it in his brain as he opened the door and slid on the leather seats and felt the storage compartments and the wheel. He fiddled with the buttons a bit and suddenly a thought came to mind.  
  
Wheeling around to Sirius who was smiling he said, "I can't drive. I was never taught."  
  
"That is the good thing," said Sirius. "You will be taking driver's ED every day for the next month at the DMV down the street. Have fun."  
  
Harry ran up and hugged his godfather. "Thank you so much!"  
  
"Not a problem Harry. Not a problem. But now I have to leave. Dumbledore wouldn't be happy if I stayed too long and I really have to go."  
  
"OK Sirius. Keep safe for me alright?"  
  
"Sure Harry. No problem. By the way," he pulled a black piece of parchment out of his cloak. "It's the Marauders' Map. Dumbledore figured you needed it, but only gave it back after thoroughly checking its paths. He promised not to tell any of the teachers the paths that weren't already known." He smiled and said, "Oh and Reamus says hi." And with that he disapparated on the spot leaving Harry smiling wide enough for a truck to drive in. He was going to learn to drive! What will Dudley think?  
  
After admiring the car for a bit, he found the transport button pushed it and watched the car rapidly shrink to the size of a muggle Matchbox car, put it in his pocket, and walked cheerily into the house. 


	3. Blackstaff

Ch3 Blackstaff  
  
His cheerful attitude didn't last. Right when he entered Vernon was there and furiously asking why Sirius had come.  
  
"Just a check-up on me. Making sure nothing was wrong. You know. He's curious." He sat back and watched the reaction.  
  
Vernon's face bulged and paled. "Wha-whe-wher-wha…?" he stuttered.  
  
"Where did he go?" Harry asked for him. Vernon nodded "He left. He may be back soon but he's not sure. He promised to send a lot of letters though." Enjoying the face on Vernon's face for a moment he remembered what Sirius had given him. "Oh. One more thing." Vernon's eyes twitched. "I'll be taking a driving class everyday for the next few weeks so I can get my permit right when I turn fifteen. Hope that's not a problem. Great." He then skipped happily up stairs to say hi to Hedwig and get ready for his class.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Walking down the street to the DMV Harry thought about what driver's ED would be like. Out of habit, Harry had his wand tucked deep within his pocket but hoped it wouldn't be needed; though he thought ruefully why would he need it in the first place.  
  
Harry couldn't have missed the building had he been blind with its giant red letters spelling DMV. Passing a dented car with a sign that said 'Student Driver' on the side, Harry walked through the glass door into the building and saw a few desks and two other doors. Walking up to one of the people at the desks Harry considered what he would say.  
  
The women he walked up to asked in a voice as dull as her clothes, "Name?" Harry answered. "Your class will start in a few minutes. Fill out this sheet and wait for the instructor in that room." She pointed to a door.  
  
"Thank you," Harry said politely but the woman had already begun a phone call. Harry walked into the small room in which held a few desks and a blackboard and sat at an unoccupied desk. There were three other people in the room from all different aspects of life.  
  
Harry filled out the form just in time to see the teacher walk into the room. He was a wizened old man with a long black beard with two stripes of gray down it. Other than his beard, he was completely bald. He wore a black suit and walked with dignity. Harry's first impression of him was of Mr. Crouch, a former Ministry wizard who was murdered the year before by his own son but had always been crisp in his appearance and mind, but then he smiled.  
  
"Good afternoon class. My name is Mr. K Blackstaff, and I'll be your instructor for the duration of this class. Now please turn in all of your forms so that we may begin." Harry passed up his and the small man's behind him and waited while Mr. Blackstaff flipped through the papers quickly learning their names. He got to Harry's paper and started and looked up, right at Harry, and his eyes brushed his hairline and stared at his scar. His gaze shot back and forth between his form and Harry like lightning. He suddenly shook himself and continued on with the lesson. 'Now what was that about,' thought Harry wonderingly.  
  
Harry didn't have a chance to ask for two weeks because it wasn't until then that they were actually alone because the rest of the class had failed. Driving around the local neighborhoods Harry finally brought up the question that was bothering him. "How do you know who I am."  
  
Mr. Blackstaff smiled faintly. "I was wondering when you'd ask. I'm a wizard too."  
  
"You?" Harry sputtered. "A wizard? Really?"  
  
"Of course!"  
  
"But, why are you working at a muggle job?" Harry asked as he stopped to avoid hitting a cat.  
  
"Dumbledore hired me. I am here to hold the enchantment over your house in place. It's a difficult Anti-Scying Enchantment that took four wizards and witches to create and must be maintained everyday by one wizard." He shook his head ruefully. "I've been here for thirteen years and you have never seen me before this. Oh what will Dumbledore say?" he mumbled.  
  
"He's the one who sent me here." 'Well, sort of,' thought Harry.  
  
"Well, if he sent you, I won't be in trouble. Alright. Now remember the speed, and check the gas, we're running low." Harry adjusted his speed and turned for the nearest gas station. "Listen, Harry. I'd like it if you didn't mention that I'm here to anyone but your most trusted friends. I have to make sure you're safe. You won't tell anyone else, right?" he asked apprehensively.  
  
"Of course not."  
  
"Good. Now back to driving, always make sure that you have at least…" 


	4. A Very Happy Birthday

1 Ch4 A Very Happy Birthday  
  
  
  
"Great job Harry," said Blackstaff. "Now if you'll sign here, you can get your permit. Happy Birthday by the way."  
  
"Thank you sir," Harry replied as he signed the form. He'd been working hard for four hours a day for over a month and now he could legally drive. 'Finally,' he thought, 'I can get away for a while and see the world.'  
  
Blackstaff shifted uncomfortably. "I, ah, trust my secret is safe?"  
  
Harry smiled warmly. "Of course. Besides, what would I gain from telling the secret? Nothing but trouble."  
  
After Blackstaff thanked him profusely Harry smiled and left. He contemplated that smile for a moment. Even though Voldemort was loose again, Harry seemed to be smiling more often. Maybe it was thoughts of driving that made him smile. 'Oh well,' he thought walking away from his last day at the DMV.  
  
Pulling his Z3 from his pocket he pushed the transport button and after it finished growing, drove back to Privet Drive.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
It had been a while since Harry had a chance to do some homework so it was almost the midnight of his birthday, with Hedwig out scaring the neighbor's new cat, and the time finding him trying to explain in five-hundred words or more why a niffler was hard to keep as a house pet and if you did have one as such, how would you make it easier to live with, for his Care for Magical Creatures class with his favorite teacher Hagrid. Hagrid was a half- giant who had a tendency to make pets of the most vicious of creatures. It would be a long while before he forgot the three headed dog he had dubbed 'Fluffy' or his baby dragon Norbert or even his Blast-ended Screwarts.  
  
Finishing his swish of ink on the page he read what he had just put in.  
  
Due to the niffler's tendency to destroy homes, they are not commonly used as house pets. However, that does not mean that they are unable to be pets. It merely means they are difficult to handle as such. There are a few ways to have them in your home and some are easy. One would be to train it not to search for shiny things indoors. Another would be to keep it in a garden or small paddock solely devoted to him or her.  
  
Deciding that that would do for the night, Harry wrapped up his parchment, corked his ink pulled out Quidditch Through the Ages and watched as a chaser lauched the red quaffle through a hope in a flipping through making the silent crowd go wild.  
  
So immersed in his reading he hardly registered the sound of tapping on his window. Outside was quite a gathering of owls with packages and letter's spread between them.  
  
Jumping up, Harry closed his book and opened the window letting the owls in. Pig tried to hoot madly but Harry quickly silenced him with a silence charm that Hermione had taught him to prepare him for the Triwizard Tournament but he had never needed to use.  
  
After reliving the owls of their burdens they fought their way to the window and flew off into the night with a rustle of feathers leaving Harry shaking his head in amusement.  
  
Turning to the packages and letters he sorted them.  
  
"Hermione, Ron, Hagrid, School…" he mumbled as he sorted. He opened the school letter first.  
  
He read the usual letter for a few moments and then flipped open his school list  
  
FIFTH YEARS WILL REQUIRE:  
  
The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 5  
  
By Miranda Goshawk  
  
A Timid Book of Time  
  
By Mistopy Watchinga  
  
An Advanced Guide to Transfiguration  
  
By Emeric Switch  
  
One Million Magical Herbs and Fungi  
  
By Phyllida Spore  
  
Active Defense Against Dark Arts  
  
By Imisha Fright  
  
Creatures of the Light and Dark  
  
By Wandering Scribe  
  
STUDENTS WILL ALSO NEED:  
  
Study By Day and Night  
  
By Organized Minds  
  
Spell it Out  
  
By OWL and NEWT  
  
Harry wondered bewildered what those were about and closed the letter and went to Hagrid's letter.  
  
Happy Birthday Harry!  
  
Here is something I think you'll enjoy!  
  
Hagrid  
  
Harry picked up the package and opened it to find a beautiful handmade dragon sculpture that moved to follow the light. He smiled and set it down to open Ron's letter.  
  
Happy Birthday Harry,  
  
Hey guess what?! You can come stay now that Charlie is better and I can't wait to show you my new broom! I got it from Bill because he knew my old one broke. It's a Nimbus 2002! Nowhere near as good as the Firebolt but it's better than Malfoy's 2001 and it looks fantastic!  
  
Anyway, tell me when you can come and we'll hook up your fireplace and come and get you!  
  
Ron  
  
Harry winced at the memory of last year's attempt at Floo powder and hurriedly scribbled a note to Ron telling him he could come and could provide his own transportation. He rolled it up and set it on his desk for Hedwig when she came back.  
  
He then went over to his bed and opened the Ron's gift. Inside was a brand- new spy-scope. Reading the label Harry found that the scope gave him the ability to see through walls. Thinking of how much trouble it would save him when roaming the halls at night, he smiled knowingly.  
  
Hermione wrote him a short letter too that read:  
  
Harry,  
  
Happy birthday! I hope you did your homework! I've already done our Care for Magical Creatures essay with all the information I got in Bulgaria and it's one thousand words. I do hope its not too long. Anyway, I'll be at Ron's house in two days. My aunt had her teeth knocked out again and she doesn't trust anyone but my mom and dad to fix them so I hope to see you then!  
  
Lots of love,  
  
Hermione Granger  
  
Harry quickly opened the package and found a Automatic Note taking quill and a large book on wizard careers. He also found a box of chocolate frogs with a note saying that she wanted him to have something not school related. Grinning like a fiend, Harry grabbed a frog and ate it while he set everything into his trunk and got ready for bed.  
  
Suddenly Hedwig appeared and she wasn't alone. With her was a golden owl carrying a book and a letter. Wondering who these were from Harry slowly walked over and relieved the owl of it's cargo and it silently flew out the window.  
  
After Hedwig got a little rest Harry tied the letter onto her leg and she flew out the window hooting softly. He then picked up the letter and read.  
  
Dear Harry,  
  
Your father wanted you to have this and trusted it with me. Use it at your own risk and if you do use it, please ask Hermione and Sirius to help. Its quite dangerous to the untrained. Happy Birthday.  
  
Reamus Lupin  
  
Harry picked up the book and read from the cover.  
  
"Instructions on becoming an…Animagus, by Changing Winds." 'Wow. How cool is this?' he thought. How to begin though? How to begin… 


	5. Perfect Red

1 Ch 5 Perfect Red  
  
The next morning Harry spent packing for his trip. He decided he'd be going today because there were clouds covering the sky and rain pouring. While in the middle of putting his books in, Vernon slammed on his door. Harry slowly strolled toward the door, knowing just how annoyed Vernon would be, and opened the door.  
  
"Yes?" Harry asked semi-politely.  
  
Scanning the bare room, Vernon said in a voice like the calm before the storm, "Where do you think you are going?"  
  
"Well, I should think that would be obvious," Harry said.  
  
He exploded.  
  
"Tell me where the bloody hell you think you're going!"  
  
"I'm going to Ron's house for the rest of the summer, of course," Harry said calmly. "Don't you want me to go? You haven't taken a liking to me, now, have you?" he said with a grin.  
  
"N-no!" he sputtered. "I can't wai-wait for you to get out of my h- house. But, I, uh, oh hell; get out of my sight as soon as possible," and with that he slammed the door in Harry's still grinning face.  
  
Shaking his head in satisfaction, Harry finished packing the last of his books and clothes. He picked up his chest and Hedwig's cage and, with Hedwig following behind, slowly walked down the stairs and out the front door, ignoring the glances from Petunia.  
  
He set down his pulled out his Z3. He looked around to be sure no one was watching, then pressed the transport button.  
  
When it stopped growing, Harry put his stuff and Hedwig into the car and stepped in himself. He pulled out of the driveway and cheerfully waved at the faces of the Dursleys looking out of various windows. He slowly began to drive away and pressed the invisibility booster and gained joy from watching the Dursleys' startled reactions.  
  
Slowly gaining altitude, Harry took out the map he had stored in his glove compartment. Scanning it, Harry realized that he had no idea where the Burrow was.  
  
Harry began to panic, racking his brain, trying to remember how he got to Ron's house in his second year. He had been being mistreated at the Dursleys, so Ron and his twin brothers, Fred and George, came in their father's flying car to take him to their house. Unfortunately, he couldn't recall how he got there.  
  
As suddenly as he had begun to panic, he began to relax. It was obvious: the magical cell phone. Harry pulled it out of the glove compartment and scanned the people he had entered and found Ron. He looked through the information that had been magically stored when he had entered Ron onto the phone and found where he lived. Surprisingly, he found a map to get there too!  
  
Feeling much better, Harry turned the wheel northwest and headed to Ron's home.  
  
His thoughts grew and his mind became clouded with them when suddenly he heard, "Hey kid? Can you tell me where we are?"  
  
With a strangled yell Harry looked around and found, outside his window, a wizard, he must be, flying on a broomstick. A Nimbus 2002 Harry noticed. The wizard had sandy blond hair, an angular face, and… red eyes? He quickly put his car on autopilot and answered him.  
  
"Uh, uh yeah," Harry stuttered out. "We're flying over-"  
  
"Wait! Are you Harry Potter?" When Harry nodded he said, "I knew it! I was sent here to find you!"  
  
"Find me? Why?" Harry said. He was calming down a bit from his shock but the red eyes still kind of freaked him out.  
  
"Why? Because Professor Dumbledore wanted a letter delivered by me personally."  
  
"Letter? What letter?"  
  
The man into his cloak pocket and pulled out a letter addressed to him in green ink.  
  
"There you go. I'll see you at school, Harry," he added as he flew off.  
  
Next year? What did he mean by that? Harry quickly opened the letter and read:  
  
Harry Potter, you have been chosen to become a Perfect for this school year. When you reach Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Please report to Professor Dumbledore's office corridor for instructions.  
  
  
  
Fare Thee Well,  
  
Proffesor Dumbledore  
  
"Perfect?" Harry reached back into the envelope and pulled out a silver medal with the shinny word "Perfect" in bold capital letters.  
  
"Ron is never going to believe this!" 


	6. Briars

06 Briars

__

Women are a maze through briars in the night, and even they don't know the way. –Robert Jordan, A Crown of Swords

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Harry didn't notice how much the appearance of the red eyed man startled him until he felt his car begin to descend through the thick cloud coverage.

Looking down at his map, he realized that he was flying along the street headed toward Ron's house. He smiled happily and tucked the map away as he continued sinking through the clouds and onto the street below.

His car set down with a light bump as the shocks absorbed the impact and continued up the road for another ten minutes, passing through farming land until reaching a hill in which at the top stood a house that seemed to be held up by magic and of which Harry wasn't sure it wasn't. It must have been the weirdest house he had ever seen and yet it was one of his favorite places in the world. The house was bigger than he remembered, probably due to the money Harry had given Fred and George to build their joke shop with. After all, all geniuses had to have a laboratory and there's no place like home.

Harry pulled his car up to the driveway and stepped out of his car. As he was getting his things out of the trunk a flurry of movement drove him to look up in time to find a young woman with fiery hair, freckles looking down at him, sprinting down to him, smiling, dimples showing. Harry smiled as she ran down and hugged him with all the strength she had. It was enough to make Harry loose his breath. _Was this the shy little Ginny he had seen last?_ Harry thought. _She certainly has grown a bit since I last saw her_.

"Harry! You came!" Ginny said into his chest. "I'm so glad to see you!"

"Of course I came Ginny!" Harry said. "Would I ever pass up a chance to come see my friends?" She stepped back and looked up at him, considering, for a moment, then smiled again her bright eyes alight with happiness.

"No, I don't suppose you would," she said. Her eyes continued to shine as she looked into his and she suddenly blushed and looked away. _Now that's the Ginny I know _Harry thought wryly.

Ginny took a quick intake of breath at the sight of his car. "Wow Harry! When we heard you'd have your own transportation we figured you'd use your broom or something! That's got to be the most beautiful car I've ever seen!"

Harry grinned and said, "It was a gift from a dear friend." Ginny nodded slowly clearly wishing for a ride.

"I'll give you a ride in it before we go to Hogwarts, Ginny." Ginny hopped up and hugged him again.

"Thank you Harry. Well, come in, come in!"

Picking up his bags Harry followed her into the house. It wasn't until he was in the kitchen that he noticed the silence of the house.

"Where is everyone, Ginny?"

"Hmmm," she asked as he sat down at the table. "Oh, Mum went to the market to get some food for tonight's dinner, Fred and George are at a meeting with some landlords to get their own building in Diagon Alley for their joke shop, Percy is at work, no surprise there, and Ron and Dad went to pick up Hermione. That covers it," she finished sitting down right next to him, continuing to look into his eyes.

"Erm," Harry said, the most intelligent thing he could come up with while Ginny was staring so deeply into his eyes.

This went on for about an hour it seemed to Harry, him asking mundane questions about how the weather has been or something of such, she answering just as mundanely, always staring, him never looking away.

Suddenly there was a loud yell of excitement and they quickly glanced away from each other as Hermione ran in.

"Harry!" she yelled, her brown hair as bushy as ever and her buckteeth gone after Harry's incident with Malfoy and deflected curses, grew them to abnormal lengths and Hermione had them shrunk beyond what was absolutely necessary. "How long have you been here?" she asked. Harry glanced at Ginny, who was watching him again, and back to Hermione, answered quickly, "Not too long. You might want to drag Ron and Mr. Weasly in here before his eyes rust the paint off my car," he added, grinning.

"Hmmm, that would be a problem, now wouldn't it?" and she trotted out the door to fetch them.

Harry became conscious of Ginny's eyes on him, and looked at her. Her eyes were sparkling and she was smiling. He smiled back and winked, his natural clumsiness around the opposite sex dissipating into a warm feeling as she continued to look into his emerald eyes.


	7. THE END

I have decided that I'll end the story by posting a chapter that simply says: THE END...due to lack of interest in H/G. Thanks for reading and I will write somethin else later. Probably Draco/Hermione...Fare Well. 


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